For Students
American English Grammar
Comma
Learning objectives
In this lesson you will learn the definition of a comma and study the usage of commas.
Definition of a comma
  • A comma looks like this:

,

  • A comma is used to:
  • separate elements in a sentence, introductory clause, words in a series, parenthetical phrase, or interjection
  • separate items in lists, and to present large numbers in a more readable form
  • when using commas in a number in English, the commas are placed before every third digit, starting from the right
  • commas can change the meaning of a sentence depending on placement
Usage of commas
  • Commas in numbers
  • "fifteen million" is written as "15,000,000"
  • "twelve thousand fifty-one dollars and seven cents" is written as "$12,051.07"
  • Commas changing the meaning of a sentence
  • "The teacher beat the scholar with a whip." (a simple description)
  • "The teacher beat the scholar, with a whip." (expression of outrage)
























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